Instructions

1. Pour equal parts kosher salt and white granulated sugar in a stockpot and add water. You need 1 quart of water for each cup of combined sugar and salt. For example, if you used 1/4 cup each sugar and salt, add 1 quart of water to the stockpot.

2. Set the pot on the stove and bring the basic brine to a boil. Turn the heat off as soon as it reaches a boil and remove the pot if you have an electric stove. If you have a gas stove, you can leave the pot on the burner.

3. Add basic pickling spices to the brine, such as mustard seeds, a garlic clove or two and a few whole cloves. Basic pickling spices contain antimicrobial agents that aid in preservation. Add a few whole bird's eye chilis or red chili flakes to the brine if you want a bit of heat in the pickled chicken.

4. Let the brine cool to room temperature in the pot and pour it in a food storage container. Place the brine in the refrigerator for about 1 hour.

5. Cut the chicken to the desired size. You can cut it into slices, dices or large, roughly chopped chunks.

6. Place the chicken in the chilled brine and cover. Brine the chicken in the refrigerator for 1 to 2 hours, depending on how strong you want the flavor.

7. Remove the chicken from the brine after 1 to 2 hours and rinse it. Place the chicken on a plate and pat it dry with paper towels.

8. Add whole aromatic spices to a mixing bowl and whisk or stir them to combine. These spices provide the flavor base for the pickled chicken. You can use any whole aromatic spices you like -- almost anything works with chicken -- but those with woodsy, floral notes, such as black peppercorns, sage, ginger, coriander seeds and juniper berries, add complexity.

9. Pour the spices out on a rimmed baking sheet and cover them with a piece of plastic food film. Roll over the spices a few times with a rolling pin, just enough to crack them. You can also use the flat side of a wooden meat mallet or the bottom of a saucepan to crack the spices.

10. Pour 1/4 to 1/2 inch of oil in a heavy bottomed frying pan and place it on the stove over low heat.

11. Pour the cracked spices in the oil. Let the oil heat for about 15 minutes with the spices to extract their volatile oils. You can only extract volatile oils from spices -- the compounds that give them their flavor and aroma -- using clear ethyl alcohol, such as vodka, or a pure lipid, such as oil. Frying the chicken in the aromatized oil infuses it heavily with the spices' volatile oils.

12. Set the heat to medium after 15 minutes and let the oil increase in temperature for about five minutes. Add the chicken to the frying pan.

13. Fry the chicken until cooked through, about 10 to 12 minutes. To check the doneness, remove a piece of chicken and cut it open. Fully cooked chicken has no traces of pink and is firm all the way through. If the pieces are large enough, you can insert a meat thermometer in the chicken and checking if it reached 165 degrees Fahrenheit.

14. Remove the chicken using a slotted spoon and drain it on a plate lined with paper towels. Turn the heat to low and let the oil decrease in temperature.

15. Pour about 1/2 cup of vinegar for each pound of chicken in the oil along with the juice from a freshly squeezed lemon. Stir the oil and vinegar to incorporate and turn the heat off.

16. Place the chicken in a glass canning jar or in an airtight food-storage container and pour the oil-and-vinegar mixture from the pan over it. Scrape the spices into the jar or container if they stick to the pan. Let the chicken reach room temperature in the oil and seal the container or jar with the lid.

17. Place the pickled chicken in the refrigerator and use it within three days. You can eat the pickled chicken cold or use it in another dish. The U.S. Department of Agriculture advises reheating poultry to 165 degrees Fahrenheit, or until it's "hot and steaming."